News: Govt, proprietors move to tighten security as schools resume

As schools reopen for a new academic year, there appears to be renewed concern for the safety of pupils and staff against the backdrop of rising insecurity across the country.

Investigation shows that some state governments and school proprietors have made efforts to ensure the protection of their staff and pupils from attacks from kidnappers and other criminals, especially in areas where they are prone to such attacks.

Some proprietors, who spoke with our correspondents in Lagos, indicated that security topped the list of priorities for the new academic session. To ensure that no member of staff or pupil falls victim to marauding gangs of kidnappers any longer, they have taken steps to install Closed Circuit Television cameras within and around the premises of their schools.

At the Mind Builders School in Ikeja, the proprietor, Mr. Bosun Falore, told our correspondent that the institution recently spent more on the provision of additional Closed Circuit Television cameras for effective monitoring of movements and activities within the premises, offices and classrooms.

He said, “We have increased the number of CCTV cameras in the school and they are going to run for 24 hours. It is part of our effort to ensure the maximum security of our staff and pupils.”

Also, the Vice Principal of Dowen College, Lekki Phase 1, Mr. Olushesi Muraina, said the management of the school had gone further to collaborate with the Nigeria Police in terms of providing adequate security within and around the school compound.

He said, “With regard to security, we have put CCTV cameras in place in the school premises. In addition, a team of policemen also patrols the premises regularly due to an arrangement we made with the Divisional Police Officer of the local police station. Also, some detectives mufty are monitoring activities here every day. We have taken other measures to ensure maximum security of the pupils and staff of the school, but we cannot expose everything to the media.”

Following the persistent abduction of pupils across various secondary and primary schools in the country, the Nasarawa State Government recently decided to deploy security operatives to public and private schools. As expected, the purpose is to prevent further attacks by kidnappers across the 13 local government areas and 18 development areas of the state.

Announcing this, in a meeting with journalists in Lafia, the state capital, the state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Ahmed Aliyu-Tijani, said the government had also decided to embark on the construction of perimeter fences around all the secondary schools in the state with immediate effect.

He said, “Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura is determined to ensure that all the institutions are secured with perimeter fences. We have made our submission and he is considering it.”

Aliyu-Tijani noted that while the pilot projects would take place in a few selected schools in different parts of the state, the state government had decided to recruit some officials of the Nasarawa Youth Empowerment Scheme as security operatives in support of an initiative by the Parent-Teacher Association in the state.

He also stated that the government had already directed all the private schools in the state to put only qualified security personnel in charge of security in their respective schools.

In another development, the Muslim students Society of Nigeria urged the Lagos State Government not to wait for another crisis to occur in public schools before providing improved security for their pupils and teachers.

The society was obviously reacting to an ongoing effort by the government to ensure a 24-hour surveillance of public schools by constructing a security tower around the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, where six pupils were recently kidnapped for 64 days and eventually freed due to the combined intervention of Ondo, Ogun, Lagos and Delta States.

The President of the Lagos chapter of the MSSN, Mr. Ashafa, in a statement released ahead of the group’s conference holding on Sunday, commended the state government for the commencement of 24-hour surveillance in public schools.

Ashafa noted that the improved state of security would boost the morale of parents and pupils and their attitude towards education.

He explained that it was important for the state government to also ensure adequate supply of electricity in schools.

He said, “Education remains a key element and yardstick for measuring the growth of any state. Neither the teachers nor pupils can perform at their best in an environment laden with fear and insecurity. Hopefully, with the improved security situation, many parents will have the confidence to return their children to school.

“However, we urge government not to wait for another crisis to occur in any school or the education sector before being proactive in tacking challenges. The provision of qualitative education at all levels should be government’s top priority.”